Critical raw materials

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Governments designate critical raw materials (CRM) (also referred to as critical materials or critical minerals) as critical for their economies so there is no single list of such raw materials as the list varies from country to country as does the definition of critical. [1] They include technology-critical elements, rare-earth elements and strategic materials.

Contents

History and background

Analyzing the historical development of country approaches to critical materials, David Peck discusses the interplay between those that emphasize economic growth ("tech will fix it") and those that argue that finite resources will be exhausted ("limits to growth"). These two approaches are a feature of debate around critical materials and both are important, while countries also act in self-interest as well as responding to geopolitical tensions. [2]

Terminology and Country Definitions

For advanced industrial economies the commonly used terms "critical minerals" or "critical raw materials" refer to materials required for their strategic industries where there is a risk of interruption to supply. [3] The Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) is a transnational association whose members seek to secure a stable supply of raw materials for their economies. [4] On 5 April 2024, MSP partners launched the Minerals Security Partnership Forum to enhance cooperation in respect of CRM critical to "green and digital transitions". [5]

US

2023 Final Critical Materials List includes critical materials for energy (sometimes known as the "electric 18") [lower-alpha 1] together with 50 critical minerals. [lower-alpha 2] [6]

EU

The Critical Raw Materials Act came into effect on 23 May 2024. It specifies a list of 34 CRM, including 17 raw materials [lower-alpha 3] considered strategic. [7] [8]

UK

The Critical Minerals Strategy, Resilience for the Future [9] was published in July 2022, updated [10] in March 2023. [11] As of December 2023, the UK does not produce any of the 18 identified highly critical CRM [lower-alpha 4] [12] while a watchlist of increasingly critical materials includes Iridium, Manganese, Nickel, Phosphates and Ruthenium. [13]

China

On November 30, 2023, the Ministry of National Security of China defined critical minerals [lower-alpha 5] as "those irreplaceable metal elements and mineral deposits used in advanced industries, such as new materials, new energy, next-generation information technology, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, edge-cutting equipment manufacturing, national defense, and military sectors." [14]

Criticality

According to the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF), criticality has no agreed definition, varies with time, and is specific to country and context. [15]

Geopolitical risk

There is an increased focus on supply chains in general and for critical materials specifically, highlighted by US-China competition. China is the biggest producer of 30 of the US 50 critical minerals as well as being a significant player in downstream processing and manufacture. [16]

A 2024 analysis from the World Economic Forum states that potential scarcity of critical materials arising from the Energy transition will be driven by demand factors and suggests ways for governments to address the uncertainties involved. [17] [18]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "What are 'critical minerals' and what is their significance for climate change action?". Grantham Research Institute on climate change and the environment.
  2. ↑ David Peck (2018). "5.A Historical Perspective of Critical Materials, 1939 to 2006". In S. Erik Offerman (ed.). Critical materials : underlying causes and sustainable mitigation strategies. World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd. ISBN   9789813271043.
  3. ↑ Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (May 2024). What Makes Minerals and Metals "Critical"? A practical guide for governments on building resilient supply chains (PDF) (Report). International Institute for Sustainable Development.{{cite report}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ↑ "Minerals Security Partnership MEDIA NOTE". US Department of State. 14 June 2022. Archived from the original on 5 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  5. ↑ "Press corner".
  6. ↑ "Notice of Final Determination on 2023 DOE Critical Materials List". 4 August 2023.
  7. ↑ "Critical raw materials - European Commission". single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu.
  8. ↑ Molyneux, Carole Maczkovics, Sam Jungyun Choi, Matthieu Coget, Cándido García (May 17, 2024). "The EU Critical Raw Materials Act enters into force". Global Policy Watch.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ↑ Resilience for the Future: The United Kingdom's Critical Minerals Strategy (Report). HM Government. July 2022.
  10. ↑ "Critical minerals refresh". GOV.UK.
  11. ↑ "The UK Strategy for Critical Minerals | Womble Bond Dickinson". www.womblebonddickinson.com.
  12. ↑ https://www.hfw.com/app/uploads/2024/04/004438-HFW-CLIENT-GUIDE-The-UK-Critical-Minerals-Strategy.pdf
  13. ↑ "What is the UK's Critical Minerals Strategy, and how does it compare to the EU's and Australia's strategies?". www.twobirds.com.
  14. ↑ "Four key critical minerals in China likely to be under the spotlight at AFA 2024". 22 February 2024.
  15. ↑ Critical minerals: A primer (PDF) (Report). The Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development. 2022.
  16. ↑ "Resource realism: The geopolitics of critical mineral supply chains". www.goldmansachs.com.
  17. ↑ https://www.weforum.org/publications/energy-transition-and-geopolitics-are-critical-minerals-the-new-oil/
  18. ↑ Energy Transition and Geopolitics: Are Critical Minerals the New Oil? (PDF) (Report). World Economic Forum. April 2024.

Notes

  1. ↑ aluminum, cobalt, copper, dysprosium, electrical steel, fluorine, gallium, iridium, lithium, magnesium, natural graphite, neodymium, nickel, platinum, praseodymium, silicon, silicon carbide and terbium
  2. ↑ Aluminum, antimony, arsenic, barite, beryllium, bismuth, cerium, cesium, chromium, cobalt, dysprosium, erbium, europium, fluorspar, gadolinium, gallium, germanium, graphite, hafnium, holmium, indium, iridium, lanthanum, lithium, lutetium, magnesium, manganese, neodymium, nickel, niobium, palladium, platinum, praseodymium, rhodium, rubidium, ruthenium, samarium, scandium, tantalum, tellurium, terbium, thulium, tin, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, ytterbium, yttrium, zinc, and zirconium.
  3. ↑ Bauxite, Coking Coal, Lithium, Phosphorus, Antimony, Feldspar, Light rare earth elements, Scandium, Arsenic, Fluorspar, Magnesium, Silicon metal, Baryte, Gallium, Manganese, Strontium, Beryllium, Germanium, Natural Graphite, Tantalum, Bismuth, Hafnium, Niobium, Titanium metal, Boron/Borate, Helium, Platinum group metals, Tungsten, Cobalt, Heavy rare earth elements, Phosphate Rock, Vanadium, Copper, Nickel.
  4. ↑ Antimony, Bismuth, Cobalt, Gallium, Graphite, Indium, Lithium, Magnesium, Niobium, Palladium, Platinum, Rare Earth Elements, Silicon, Tantalum, Tellurium, Tin, Tungsten, Vanadium
  5. ↑ aluminium, antimony, beryllium, boron, chrome, coal, cobalt, copper, fluorite, gallium, germanium, graphite, indium, iron, lithium, manganese, molybdenum, natural gas, nickel, niobium, petroleum, potassium, rare earths, rhenium, tantalum, tin, titanium, tungsten, uranium, vanadium and zirconium

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